Heat transfer fluids, sometimes referred to as heat transfer media, are heat transfer agents which are used in cooling and heating circuits and in heat recovery units. There may be other uses for such fluids and as such, they are required or expected to have a high heat transfer capacity, high thermal loading capacity and adequate thermal stability for the operating range. It is also desirable to have fluids which can stand very high heat and yet have a low freezing point while being inert.
There have been prior art heat transfer fluids which have some of the proper characteristics at high temperatures and at low temperatures and are chemically inert. The eutectic mixture of 73% diphenyl oxide and 27% biphenyl commonly known as DowthermA, is currently one of the largest volume heat transfer fluids sold worldwide. Other widely used fluids are a mixture of hydrogenated terphenyl and quatraphenyl and dibenzyl toluene.
It has, however, become desirable to get away from the available heat transfer fluids which have previously been used for a number of reasons, one of which is the current requirements of the EPA as to reportable spill quantity for biphenyl. It is also desirable to provide a heat transfer fluid which has a higher resistance to heat and a lower freezing capability, or a combination of both.